Home Sweet Home

The bathroom is not a simple room to renovate, restore or redecorate. It can also be pricey, as any undertaking can turn into a major task if plumbing is involved. However, as the home projects in this section will show, DIY in the bathroom can provide easy and satisfying solutions to give your bathroom a new look. You can completely transform your bathroom by adding accessories, tiling a wall, putting up a fancy blind or installing a large mirror.

Once upon a time the bathroom was a room which contained a bath and very little else. Today the bathroom has many more fittings, is often larger and is a real centre of activity. It is also no longer a purely functional room — some people think of their bathroom as a place to relax in the spa.

A bathroom must work efficiently and safely and be pleasant to use. It can be leisurely and luxurious or simply streamlined.

Because the bathroom is one of the most frequently used rooms in the house, and often used by more than one person at once, it makes sense to choose the design, materials, fittings and appliances that you like. Your bath room is also part of a whole and should fit in with the rest of your home as well as your lifestyle — if your house is Victorian or Art Deco in style, your bathroom should retain the same character.

Pointers

• Budget wisely — spend most on the things that will improve your bathroom’s efficiency and comfort.
• Get the basics right: style, surfaces, fixtures and fittings, lighting and storage. Pay attention to essential details. Choose simple decoration and colour schemes to provide the right setting.

Where to start

It’s essential to work out what you want and how best to achieve it. There are two important factors to bear in mind: the amount of work that has to be done and how much it will cost, and how the space you have can best be utilised and enhanced.

The design of a bath‑room will depend on what you are starting with. In a new house the bathroom can be made to suit the size of the fixtures. In an existing house, bathroom renovations usually fall into two categories: the first involves total renovation, including stripping of the room, refurbishing and often adding extra space; the second involves upgrading the room by retaining some features or fixtures and fittings and renovating around them.

Don’t try to import a complete bathroom layout and finish into your bathroom — this rarely works

Planning Your bathroom should be functional yet attractive, safe for the whole family to use and easy to look after. Plan the space carefully because bathrooms are expensive to fit out and the fixtures are relatively permanent once installed.

If you are renovating, there may be fixtures that you can’t afford to, or don’t want to, replace. Try to incorporate these without letting them spoil the new look. The size of the room will dictate the amount of equipment you can have and where you put it — everything needs to be conveniently located for comfort.

Ask yourself: Is there a problem with dampness? Do you need better ventilation? Is the bathroom warm and dry in winter, cool and dry in summer? Does it need better insulation? Is there sufficient lighting? Do you need more storage capacity?

Your bathroom may need to be redesigned to accommodate young children, the elderly, or a person with a disability; or to allow for more privacy when several people are using the bathroom at the same time. Remember, special facilities will require specialist advice and it’s best to consult the professionals before you undertake a major project. Check with your local authority (or Building Centre) before redesigning the layout of your bathroom.

Budget Hold your budget in one hand and your priority list in the other! A restricted budget doesn’t mean that the result will be shoddy or inferior — good design and basic improvements don’t have to be expensive. Take time to really think about where the money should go and allow 10 per cent of the total budget for contingencies.

Style is sometimes very hard to define — an informed eye is a real asset when it comes to appreciating what does and doesn’t work in a particular room. Look around you, especially at other people’s bathrooms, and visit a few bathroom showrooms. Do you like the decor? Would it suit your lifestyle? How could it be adapted to suit your situation?

Books and magazines are a good source of inspiration but beware the fickle fashion statement. New fashions come and go, but the basic lessons, especially where bathrooms are concerned, don’t change. From a purely functional point of view, a bathroom must be efficient, warm and dry, well-ventilated, safe and easy to maintain. Ultimately, the test is whether or not you feel happy and comfortable with the end result.

DIY projects Make sure you have all the tools and materials you need for a project before you start. Make an allowance in your budget for essential tools and materials. Remember, more expensive specialist equipment can be hired.

If you are lucky enough, you may have a generous friend or relative who has already made the investment!

Checklist

• It may seem like an obvious question, but what do you actually use the bathroom for? Work out where things are going wrong, especially at peak times when everyone needs to use the bathroom. How can things be improved?
• Is your existing bathroom well located? It should be easily accessible from the bedrooms; ideally with a separate toilet near the living area.
• Do you need a second bathroom, toilet or shower? It could be connected to a bedroom. Even the smallest most awkward space can be partitioned off and fitted with a corner bath, sit-down tub or compact shower. If you have a large, busy household, it may be a worthwhile investment.
• Will plumbing work be required?
• How much hot water do you need? Is your present hot water system adequate?
• Do you need new bathroom fixtures?
• Do you prefer showers to baths, or does your family need both?
• What type of taps do you want?
• What type of storage do you need?
• Does anyone in the family have special needs? For example, an elderly relative or person with a disability.
• How safe is your bathroom? Do youneed to make any special safety provisions for old people or young children?
• Are the wall and floor surfaces suitable for the hot, steamy atmosphere in the bathroom?
• Is the bathroom well ventilated? Do you need to install an extractor fan?

• Is the bathroom centrally heated, or does it need a separate wall heater? Do you need a heated towel rail?
• Do you need new light fittings?
• Is there good natural light, or do you need to consider a skylight installation?
• What accessories do you need?

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